1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a coated steel product, and a process of producing the same.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The Applicant is aware of the following U.S. prior art patents:
______________________________________ 706,701 Thurston 3,336,169 Kihlberg, et al. 706,702 Thurston 3,336,903 Point 2,618,572 Parrish 3,341,352 Ehlers 2,685,535 Nack 3,376,156 Whitaker, et al. 2,698,812 Schladitz 3,382,085 Wren, et al. 2,714,563 Poorman, et al. 3,404,084 Hamilton 2,719,820 Allen 3,426,730 Lawson, et al. 2,754,225 Gfeller 3,472,751 King 2,799,760 Foungel 3,485,654 McGraw, et al. 2,875,112 Becker 3,501,334 Flaherty 2,916,409 Bucek 3,503,775 Austin 2,921,877 Samuel, et al. 3,513,810 Jackson 2,939,943 Walter 3,514,388 Brumfield, et al. 3,010,009 Ducati 3,562,002 Smith, Jr. 3,019,126 Bartholomew 3,573,090 Peterson 3,046,936 Simons, Jr. 3,573,098 Bieber, et al. 3,048,498 Juvinall, et al. 3,575,138 Austin 3,116,180 Malzacher 3,117,022 Bronson 3,131,097 Mantel 3,133,874 Morris ______________________________________
Applicant is also aware of the prior art German Pat. No. 1,957,884.
In the past band saw blades and other cutting or wear resistant instruments or tools have been manufactured from a martensitic steel in which the metal has been heat treated to impart a hard cutting edge. This treatment has usually been confined to the cutting edge or edges. Also, cutting edges have been coated with tungsten carbide, titanium carbide or other hard materials, in order to harden the tips to increase their useful life. However, no cutting instrument has been produced wherein the refractory metal or compound has been ion implanted into a steel surface of the cutting edge, then coverted to a harder compound on the edge and both the refractory metal compound and the steel tip have been impulse hardened. This provides a corrosive resistant blade with a useful life many times as long as a plain hardened blade.